Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-05-05
Saint Harg's Beacon.
LEoNRDTOWN, MARYLAND.
ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR IN ADvAxsE.


ASuS ~~ft0A oa-A carver WEE All 4st1Su-
ern Wisconsin, Michigan and Mime
sofa call attention to fact not gener-
ally known that wise old DR.. Frank
lin, while arranging the treaty be-
tween this country and England, after
tie Revolution, so drew the boundary
lines between the last hostile powers
as TO include in the United States the
great mining regions on the southern
shore Of Lake Superior. In these
days. when every week gives fresh in
formation concerning the boundless
wealth in iron, copper and silver of
this wonderful world the remark is
often heard that treasures here en-
toRbed are yet scarcely unlocked-so
1t would seem upon a cursory exami-
nation of the copper and silver mines
which fringe the bleak shores of the
great inland fresh-water sea. Such
is, however, not the fact. There is
indubitable evidence that long before
the red man hunted in the gloomy
forests that girdle these wild and
lonely shores-long years before the
first Jesuit launched his boat upon
the waves of the Getchee Cameo, per-
haps before adam delved and Eve
span, race Of men, in numbers as
the sands on the shores, toiled and
hammered and beat the eopper-pure
native copper-not only into imple-
ments of warfare, but without doubt
for transportation to other lands. A
civilization must then have existed
far superior to any since known among
the native tribes north of Mexico.
Thousands Of years ago a race Of PEG
pie worked the copper mines in the
upper peninsula. They worked the
native copper and were so far advance
ed in the mechanical arts as to be able
TO handle masses of ore weighing
many tons. Their implements were
fashioned to do skillful work. In
working the copper mines of to-day
these implements are found at a great
depth, showing that ages have elapsed
since this prehistoric race existed.
The geological formations bear evil
dence that thousands Of years have
passed since these people disappeared.
Who were they? Whence came they,
and where did they go? Their I'M
finished work has been laid before
scientists, their tools and implements
OF stone and copper are to be seen ip
museums and collections in Milwau-
kee and other cities, and yet no one
can give any reliable data of the ex-
istence or extinction of these people
of the long ago.
The southern shores of Superior
were first explored in l64l by two
Jesuit priests. Small bands continued
to explore the region until l76O. In
that year Alexander Henry visited
the region. He soon became familiar
with the fact that copper existed in
the country. He published a book
on the subject and described his ex-
pIoratlons. That prehistoric race
had worked these mines was not dis
covered until the middle of the
present century. The ancient excava-
t'ons are found in all parts Of the
peninsula. There is scarcely vein
OF copper in the whole district that
does not show evidence of ancient
workings. In places they even extend
In the rock from three to sixty feet.
The method of mining was to heat the
rock with fire and then by pouring on
water and pounding with their stone
hammers to disintegrate and separate
the ore. A careful search of all the
old records shows that the Indians
who were fourd in the country were
Ignorant of the mines and the uses of
the metal.
In lS47 S. o. Knapp was prospect
ing on the range near Rockland, a
small town in Ontonagon county,
Michigan. He opened a test pit, the
surface outcropping of copper-bearing
rock giving evidence of hidden trea-
sure, and when eighteen feet from the
surface he discovered mass Of near
ly pure copper weighing more than
six tons. This is regarded as the
most wonderful mineral discovery ever
known, from the fact that the copper
was almost pure and showed conclu-
sively that ii had been worked and
abandoned by prehistoric race.
This mass had been raised several
feet and secured there upon timbers.
These had decayed and the mass re-
manned in its place supported BY the
soil. II had been hammered all over
until its surface was perfectly smooth.
In this pit, as in many others, there